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Unless you live in Philadelphia PA, you might not know that about a dozen transit police officers there were involved in arresting a passenger who allegedly had not paid his $2.25 fare. As we can see in a viral video, the suspect was pulled off the train, handcuffed and shoved against a wall — all while holding his infant daughter in his arms. The incident was cringe-worthy, to say the least, and drew immediate criticism from both the police administration and the general public.

It’s become part of an ongoing debate about whether American law enforcement agencies adequately train and supervise their people. Many police departments have excellent community relations. Others, not so much.

TV shows and movies notwithstanding, most of us cannot fully appreciate how difficult this job is. Very few people have the temperament or the courage to do it. Police work does seem to draw certain personality types, but not everyone has a desire to control others. Despite recurring stories about cops gone wild, this Philadelphia case illustrates what I want to believe is relatively rare bad behavior.

That said, when we give some citizens the power and the authority to use force (sometimes deadly force), against others, those with the guns and the badges had better get it right. They ought to have their work scrutinized. When they get it wrong, the consequences should be swift, certain and suitable.

Now, not every man or woman in uniform is a bully. Most probably want to serve and protect the public honorably, fairly. But it only takes a few to cast doubt on all of them. These days, the number of bad actors seems to be on the rise. Let’s fix this before it’s too late.

Maybe a good place to start would be by moving more officers our of their cars. The police should have regular non-confrontational contact with the public to shore up our relations with each other.

At the same time, the rest of us must do our part. I say, let’s treat police officers respectfully, but as our employees, not our bosses. Know the law. Talk with them. Demand the best of them. And never look away when they’re on the job. Remember, they are supposed to work for us.

One Response to Police

We need a non-partisan, non-political organization to report police misconduct. There is a chance to remedy bad practices and training if questionable practices come to light. We need a way to learn what is actually occurs not hidden behind the closed doors of the internal investigations which have failed to remedy the problem of oversight of bad officers and bad practices.